Buckle-protector for harness



Patented Aug. 19 1884.

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AUGUSTUS L. WHITNEY, OF LEOMINSTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

BUCKLE-PROTECTOR FOR HARNESS.

:EPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 303,686, dated August 19, 1884.

I Application filed December 14, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS L.VVHITNEY, of Leominstcr, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Carriage-Harness; and I do hereby declare the same to be described in the specification and represented in the accompanying drawings, inwhich-- Figure 1 represents a front view, Fig. 2 a back view, and Fig. 3 an edge view, of a portion of aharness-breechin g supporter provided with my invention. Fig. 4 shows an endview of the same separate from the harness.

In the drawings, the part of the strap that leads down from the back-strap of a harness and supports the breeching is shown at A as buckled to the part B, that carries a ring, 0, from which two straps usually extend ob- The said part B has attached to it a buckle, a, and a loop, I), to receive the end of the strap A.

Myinvention is intended to protect the hair of a horses tail from being caught in or about the buckles of its harness, and which may be easily and quickly applied to the same without cutting or defacing the straps, and which shall be adjustable on the straps at will.

To obtain the objects mentioned above, I provide the strap A and its buckle a with the metal protector, as herein shown.

My invention, which I will call a protector, is made of a T-shaped piece of thin metal, having its upper part bent to form the loop I), of the right shape and size to receive the strap A, as shown in the drawings, while its lower part (marked D) is made practically of the same width as the strap A, and of such length as will allow of its end being inserted in the box-loop b of the harness when the loop b of the'protector is brought against the top part of the buckle, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. It will be readily seen that extending the end D of the protector into the box-loop]; gives great strength and stiffness to the metal, while the box-loop b forms a cover for the endD of the protector, effectually preventing the hair of the horses tail from being caught in the buckle or its protector by any upward movement thereof. The box-loop b also forms a friction upon the part D, and

the protector is thus made capable of being held in its place over the buckle by said friction. The loop 2), formed at the top part of the protector, has a like effect, firmly holding that end of the protector to the strap and pre venting the hairs of the horses tail from being caught in the buckles by any downward movement of the same. The protector may also be held in its place upon the strap A and prevented from any spontaneous movement thereon by the loop I) being made open on its under side, and having its ends 0 c bent in, as shown in Fig. 4, against the back side of the strap A, thus creating such friction upon the strap as shall help to hold the protector securely in position wherever placed, and at the same time to be readily slipped upon the strap whenever adjustment is required without removing the harness from the horse. This is particularly desirable when the pro tector is applied to the crupper-strap, which upon the horse. There will be sufficient friction upon the protector to hold it in its place over the buckle if only one of .the two modes of friction described were used.

By referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings itwill be noticed that I have formed a small V- shaped bend in the protector, extending across the same at that part directly over the point of the tongue of the buckle that comes through the strap. When it is desired to move the protector on its strap, the thumb may be placed against the bend F, upon either side, and the protector may be easily pushed in either direction, as desired. This is a convcnient part of my invention, as, were it not for this bend, the protector would be with difiiculty moved, on account of the amount of friction required to hold the protector in its position over the buckle, and in practice it has been found necessary to form a projection of some kind upon the protector, in order that it may be easily moved on the strap when de-- sired.

I do not claim, broadly, a buckle protector or shield of any and every kind, as I am aware that articles for the purpose of preventing the hair of a horses tail from being caught in the buckles of its harness have been previously hasto be buckled after the harness is placed too a harness, the protector provided with an attaching-loop and having an extension provided with an abrupt bend, substantially as demade; but I am not aware that there has ever been made or used the buckle-protectorherein described; and

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. A buckle protector provided with the loop I), having its ends partially inturned, and extension D, provided with the abrupt bend F, substantially as shown and described.

2. In combination with the buckle-straps of forth.

AUGUSTUS L. YVHITNEY.

Witnesses:

G. A. RICHARDSON, CriAs E. HUDSON.

scribed, adapted to cover the tongue, as set 

